Cameron Crowe film Almost Famous comes to 4K in July
The 2000 film “Almost Famous“ is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray in a limited edition SteelBook on July 13th via Paramount Home Entertainment. The film, both written and directed by Cameron Crowe, starred Patrick Fugit, Kate Hudson, Billy Crudup, Jason Lee, Anna Paquin, Zooey Deschanel, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jimmy Fallon, and Frances McDormand.
UPDATE: So, as I promised you before, today Paramount has officially announced the upcoming releases of this film. Yes, releases, plural. You’ll hear more about the Blu-ray via Paramount Presents, spine #21 in the series, a bit further below. First off though, let’s discuss the 4K UHD Blu-ray limited-edition SteelBook. Tech specs for the 4K release include a 2160p video presentation in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 and Dolby Vision forms of high dynamic range and DTS-HD Master Audio. The movie has been remastered from a new 4K transfer that was supervised by Cameron Crowe. The 4K release will be a 2-disc set with both The Theatrical Cut (available for the first time) on the first disc and “The Bootleg Cut” on the second disc. The 4K SteelBook release will come with a digital code (copy) of the film, and it will NOT include a Blu-ray Disc counterpart. Below, you can find a glimpse (via Cameron Crowe in a tweet) of the 4K SteelBook’s interior artwork.
- Filmmaker Focus — Cameron Crowe on Almost Famous—NEW!
- Casting & Costumes — NEW!
- Rock School — NEW!
- Extended Scenes — NEW!
- Odds & Sods — NEW!
- Audio Commentary with Cameron Crowe and Friends (Bootleg cut)
- Intro by Cameron Crowe
- The Making of Almost Famous
- Interview with Lester Bangs (optional audio intro by Cameron Crowe)
- Cameron Crowe’s Top Albums of 1973
- “Fever Dog” music video
- “Loves Comes and Goes” (optional audio intro by Cameron Crowe)
- Rolling Stone Articles (optional audio intro by Cameron Crowe)
- B-Sides (optional audio intro by Cameron Crowe)
- Cleveland Concert (optional audio intro by Cameron Crowe)
- “Small Time Blues”
- Stairway (optional audio intro by Cameron Crowe)
- Script
- Theatrical Trailer
- Hidden Talent (Unhidden Easter Eggs)
Also, as I mentioned a bit earlier, there will be a Paramount Presents Blu-ray release of the film available as well on July 13th, pictured below, using this new remaster of the film. You can find that Paramount Presents Blu-ray also now available for preorder over at Amazon. Tech specs for that include a 1080p HD presentation in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound, spanning across 2 discs with the first getting The Theatrical Cut (making its Blu-ray debut) and the second disc getting “The Bootleg Cut” of the film. The bonus materials will be identical to those listed above, as well as include a digital code (copy) of the film.
Lastly, if you’re subscribed to Rolling Stone there’s a featured story regarding Cameron Crowe discussing how he’s expanding the soundtrack for the film in the month of July as well, which you can read about here.
PRESS RELEASE:
Newly Remastered Under the Supervision of Writer/Director Cameron Crowe,
Award-Winning Classic Debuts in 4K Ultra HD and in a New Limited-Edition Blu-ray™
Arriving July 13, 2021, Releases Include Both the Theatrical and Bootleg Cuts Along with Extensive New Bonus Content
Academy Award® winner* Cameron Crowe’s deeply personal and universally entertaining coming-of-age film ALMOST FAMOUS turns 21 in style, arriving for the first time on 4K Ultra HD in a limited-edition Steelbook, as well as in a new limited-edition Blu-ray in the Paramount Presents line on July 13, 2021 from Paramount Home Entertainment. In addition, UMe has compiled multiple iterations of the film’s Grammy® Award-winning soundtrack, including a limited-edition Uber Box set arriving July 9, 2021.
“We are extremely proud to revisit ALMOST FAMOUS with a very special bounty of goodness,” said Cameron Crowe. “For the first time, we’ve created a Deluxe Soundtrack that features nearly every song from the film, along with Nancy Wilson’s wonderfully evocative score. We’re also thrilled to finally preserve both versions of the film, along with a collection of rare new bonus features, on these beautiful new 4K and Blu-ray releases as part of Paramount Presents. Long live physical media!”
About the 4K Ultra HD
Meticulously remastered from a new 4K film transfer under the supervision of Crowe, ALMOST FAMOUS is presented in stunning 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision® and HDR-10 for ultra-vivid picture quality.** The limited-edition 4K Ultra HD Steelbook includes both the original theatrical cut (plus access to a digital copy) and the beloved Bootleg cut (aka “Untitled”), along with new bonus content offering a backstage pass into the creative process through a new interview with Crowe, extended scenes, rock-school sessions, a look at the casting and costumes, and more. Previously released bonus content is also included as detailed below:
- Filmmaker Focus—Cameron Crowe on Almost Famous—NEW!
- Casting & Costumes—NEW!
- Rock School—NEW!
- Extended Scenes—NEW!
- Odds & Sods—NEW!
- Audio Commentary with Cameron Crowe and Friends (Bootleg cut)
- Intro by Cameron Crowe
- The Making of Almost Famous
- Interview with Lester Bangs (optional audio intro by Cameron Crowe)
- Cameron Crowe’s Top Albums of 1973
- “Fever Dog” music video
- “Loves Comes and Goes” (optional audio intro by Cameron Crowe)
- Rolling Stone Articles (optional audio intro by Cameron Crowe)
- B-Sides (optional audio intro by Cameron Crowe)
- Cleveland Concert (optional audio intro by Cameron Crowe)
- “Small Time Blues”
- Stairway (optional audio intro by Cameron Crowe)
- Script
- Theatrical Trailer
- Hidden Talent (Unhidden Easter Eggs)
About the Limited-Edition Blu-ray
ALMOST FAMOUS will also be available in a limited-edition Blu-ray Disc™ and is—fittingly—Volume #21 in the Paramount Presents line. With collectible packaging featuring a foldout image of the film’s theatrical poster and an interior spread with key movie moments, the release includes the remastered versions of the theatrical cut for the first time on Blu-ray (plus access to a digital copy) and the Bootleg cut, along with the bonus content listed above.
About UMe’s Soundtrack Releases
To complement the 4K Ultra HD and Limited-Edition Blu-ray releases, UMe has compiled multiple iterations of the film’s Grammy® Award-winning soundtrack, augmented comprehensively in the limited-edition Uber Box set that encompasses an expanded soundtrack with five CDs, seven 180-gram black vinyl discs, and a brand new 7-inch for Stillwater’s “Fever Dog.” The expanded soundtrack includes songs from The Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, The Who, and Yes, plus all the songs created for the film’s fictional aspiring rock group Stillwater, most written for the movie by Cameron Crowe, Heart’s Nancy Wilson and Grammy Award-winning guitarist, Peter Frampton.
The Uber Box includes bonus items such as a 40-page photo book and memoir housed in a film-prop-replica of William Miller’s high-school notebook; the first-ever complete William Miller cover story on Stillwater as a 1973 Rolling Stone newsprint; two replica ticket stubs; and a Stillwater tour poster. Exclusively available only in the Uber Boxset is a Stillwater Cleveland concert poster and a backstage poster; six film-prop-replica backstage passes (some seen throughout the film); three film-prop-replica business cards for Dick Roswell (Stillwater road manager), Lester Bangs (Creem magazine), and Ben Fong-Torres (Rolling Stone magazine); and three photo prints of cast members. Along with the thirteen-disc Uber Deluxe box, Universal is issuing two six-LP editions—one on black vinyl, the other with colored vinyl discs; a five-CD Super Deluxe set including 102 tracks, 36 of them previously unreleased songs; a separate 12-inch vinyl EP with all 6 of Stillwater’s songs; a Record Store Day exclusive with the 7 original demos of the Stillwater songs, five performed by Wilson the other two by Frampton; a two-LP vinyl version of the original soundtrack album; a two-CD Deluxe Edition of the original soundtrack. Pre-order the ALMOST FAMOUS EXPANDED SOUNDTRACK now and listen to Stillwater’s Bonus Track “Love Comes And Goes” HERE.
Synopsis
ALMOST FAMOUS is the semi-autobiographical odyssey of 15-year-old William Miller (Patrick Fugit), whose writing talent and earnest passion for rock music earns him an assignment for Rolling Stone, interviewing and touring with Stillwater (Billy Crudup, Jason Lee). Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) is the young groupie who guides him through the wild world of rock heroes, all-night parties, and the most dangerous experience of all—love. The film won the Golden Globe® for Best Motion Picture—Comedy or Musical and the AFI Award for Movie of the Year and received dozens of additional nominations and awards.
About Paramount Presents
This collectible line spans celebrated classics to film-lover favorites, each from the studio’s renowned library. Every Paramount Presents release features never-before-seen bonus content and exclusive collectible packaging. Additional titles available in the Paramount Presents collection on Blu-ray include: Fatal Attraction, King Creole, To Catch a Thief, Flashdance, Days of Thunder, Pretty In Pink, Airplane!, Ghost, Roman Holiday, The Haunting, The Golden Child, Trading Places, The Court Jester, Love Story, Elizabethtown, The Greatest Show on Earth, Mommie Dearest, Last Train from Gun Hill, 48 HRS, and Another 48 HRS.
About Paramount Home Entertainment
Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The PHE division oversees PPC’s home entertainment and transactional digital distribution activities worldwide. The division is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment content on behalf of Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television Studios, Paramount Players, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and CBS and applicable licensing and servicing of certain DreamWorks Animation titles. PHE additionally manages global licensing of studio content and transactional distribution across worldwide digital distribution platforms including online, mobile and portable devices and emerging technologies.
ALMOST FAMOUS 4K Ultra HD
Street Date: July 13, 2021
U.S. Rating: R for language, drug content and brief nudity (theatrical cut)
Unrated (Bootleg Cut)
Paramount Presents: ALMOST FAMOUS
Street Date: July 13, 2021
U.S. Rating: R for language, drug content and brief nudity (theatrical cut)
Unrated (Bootleg Cut)